Lease Extensions

At Brian Gale Surveyors, we are specialists in residential lease extensions and enfranchisement across London and the South East. Our chartered surveyors have been in the industry for over 25 years, and have built an excellent reputation for the services and advice we offer across the property sector. If you need professional representation for a lease extension claim, our experts can help.

Our qualified team can cut through the confusion of extending your lease, and provide you with all the information you need about lease valuations, the application process and what to do if you cannot reach your freeholder. Each of our lease extension specialists can liaise with landlords on your behalf, and secure a fair price for your agreement.

Choosing a Brian Gale surveyor will take all of the pain out of the lease extension process. In most cases, we provide our customers with a current lease valuation, before advising on the best way to proceed, and working to negotiate the appropriate compensation with your freeholder’s surveyor. We are happy to cater to slightly different requirements, for example, providing an initial appraisal rather than a detailed valuation report. Call our office today to make an appointment and see how Brian Gale Surveyors can help you.

Some of the most popular areas in which we’ve carried out lease extensions include:

Please do not hesitate to contact us should you require trusted, professional advice surrounding lease extensions and enfranchisement. Our team of professionals are more than happy to respond to your enquiries or any further questions you may have surrounding the process of lease extension and enfranchisement.

Lease Extensions FAQs

What can be done about a short lease?

If you are looking at buying – or already live in – a property with a short lease, the freeholder is legally obliged to extend it by an additional 90 years upon request.

According to the legislation, once a leaseholder has owned the property for two years they are entitled to an extension of their contract, providing it was a long lease to begin with (e.g., over 20 years). This lease extension guarantees access to the property for a further 90 years, can eliminate ground rent payments, and add significant value to your home.

How do I get a lease extension?

Providing you meet the requirements outlined above, there are two ways for you to get an extension to your lease. Firstly, you may be able to arrange a private contract with the freeholder. To do this, you or your solicitors will need to contact the freeholder for their extension terms and price. Alternatively, you will need to serve the freeholder a “Section 42 Notice”, pursuing your legal right to a lease extension.

The exceptions to this entitlement are if:
• The lease is a business lease
• The leaseholder has a long lease sub-let on their property
• The property is within a cathedral precinct
• The property is owned by the Crown or National Trust
• The freeholder is a charitable housing trust, which is providing the flat as part of its work

How much does it cost?

Typically lease extensions cost several thousand pounds. This will include the costs of your own surveyor, and most likely cover the expenses of the freeholder’s party. While there is no legal requirement to hire surveyors, the professional experience they offer will help you achieve a fair deal, and accurate valuation of the lease in question.

Be aware that these costs only increase as the lease gets shorter, particularly once the term falls below 80 years. This is because the freeholder can then claim the “marriage value” of your property, where the additional value created by the lease extension gets split between you and the freeholder.

On a flat costing £200,000, a lease extension at 90 years will cost you approximately £7,500 including surveyor fees. Compare that to around £8,500 to extend at 85 years (at which point you will add significantly more value back onto your home), or an estimated £16,500 for an extension at 70 years.

I have not lived in the property for two years; how can I get an extension?

If you are negotiating the purchase of a property with a short lease, request that the sellers start the process of an extension on your behalf (providing they are eligible). They can then transfer the benefit of the extension upon completion of your sale, and you can continue the process as if you had eligible ownership.

If you have already moved in then you may contact the freeholder to make a private arrangement – they are just not obliged to grant you an extension before you have had two years of ownership.

What happens if the freeholder doesn’t respond, or I can’t get hold of them?

In this instance, you will need your solicitor to apply for a “Vesting Order” through the Court. Providing you are eligible for the extension, the Court can grant it to you in the freeholder’s absence and maintain responsibility until the freeholder returns.

Why choose Brian Gale Surveyors?

Brian Gale Surveyors have extensive experience in managing leasehold extensions across Greater London, for both leaseholders and freeholders. Our expertise is in making an accurate assessment of the lease value, and ensuring our clients get a fair deal when negotiating with freeholder’s surveyors. When there are thousands of pounds at stake, employing a professional to assist you through the process is the best way to save money in the long term.